What is the best pre-workout food to eat?
Don’t stop until you are proud of yourself.
Pre-workout helps boost your mood before a workout because we have had moments of feeling tired, lethargic and unmotivated when heading to the gym. Pre-workout comes in many forms, such as a drink, a powder or the food we eat. So, let’s work out the best pre-workout food to eat for you!
Benefits of Preworkout:
- More Energy
- Prevent muscle breakdown
- Increase muscle growth
Pre-workout snacks - are your quick light bites before heading to the gym, which are consumed within 30 minutes to an hour before your workout.
- Bananas - are a great pre-workout snack to boost your blood sugar and store energy in your muscles. Bananas are best to eat 30 minutes before a workout.
- Protein bars - are great to fuel your workout as well as boost your protein intake. Your protein bar should include some carbohydrates to offer a balance of energy. Protein bars are best to eat an hour before working out.
- Fruit Smoothies - can provide the pre-workout carbs you need for energy. Adding some protein powder can improve the benefits of your smoothie. Make sure you know what is being put in your smoothie if you are not making it.
- Apple Wedges and Peanut Butter - is a quick and easy snack. That has a satisfying crunch. This snack has a great mixture of carbs, protein and fats to keep your body prepared.
- Homemade Protein Bars - are great for customising to match what you need to eat while allowing you to add your favourite flavours.
- Protein Shakes - are by far the favourite of most people as they are quick and easy to do! There are a variety of flavours out there to suit your needs.
- Fruit And Greek Yogurt - another good combo to eat as it has a great mixture of carbs, protein and fats to keep your body prepared
Pre-workout meals - are your main meals before your workout that are ideally consumed around 2-3 hours before your workout.
- Chicken, rice and vegetables - This is your classic pre-workout meal that everyone knows. It is such a great meal as it has a good source of lean protein and complex carbs, leaving you feeling full and energised.
- Porridge - is the ultimate pre-workout breakfast that is customisable to suit your needs. It contains so many complex carbs that it keeps you feeling full for hours and is a great source of slow-releasing energy.
- Sweet potato and Brown rice - individually, these are both fantastic for complex carbs and slow-releasing energy. By adding a good source of protein, you can fuel your workout while boosting muscle production.
- Omelette - eggs are fantastic for muscle-building protein. They can also be customised for your everyday needs by adding spinach or other vegetables.
Specific Goals - depending what you are looking for all depends on what you should eat for your pre-workout. Here are some ideas for pre-workout snacks/meals for you to eat:
- For Bodybuilding
- Egg whites
- Whey protein isolate
- Fruit, including oranges, strawberries, or apples
- Brown rice or long-grain white rice
- Oatmeal
- Wheat pasta
- Chicken or turkey
- For Weight Loss
- A banana with nut butter, especially almond butter
- Multigrain crackers with hummus
- An apple with peanut butter or a small handful of nuts
- 1/2 cup pasta or rice, preferably whole grain
- Any whole piece of fruit
- 1/2 cup oatmeal with raisins or berries
- For Energy
- Fruit smoothies
- Yoghurt parfaits with granola and fruit
- Bananas
- Oats
- Whole grain bread with a couple of slices of lean meat
- Chicken with rice and vegetables
- Apples with peanut butter and raisins
- Greek yoghurt
- For Women's Health
- Fruit smoothies, especially those made with almond milk or another low-calorie option
- Greek yoghurt
- Whole fruit
- Lean meat on top of whole-grain bread
- 1/2 cup oatmeal sweetened with honey
- 1/2 sweet potato
